| 摘要: |
| 在深入实施区域协调发展战略的背
景下，传统边界地区不再是地理意义上的边
缘地带，而是新一轮区域一体化的前沿阵
地。然而，国内关于跨界地区的研究尚在起
步阶段，其空间治理困境有待进一步探索。
粤港澳大湾区具有“一国两制”的特殊制度
背景与复杂地理条件，提供了丰富的跨界地
区空间治理实践经验。因此，研究以粤港澳
大湾区的跨界地区为例，立足尺度重组视
角，结合关键人物访谈和政策分析，识别跨
界合作中存在多层级战略目标差异、治理尺
度不对等、协调机制缺位的三重尺度困境，
厘清跨界合作区的试点实践、以柔性规划为
主导的治理尺度修复、以及多元制度创新作
为应对手段的作用机制，总结跨界空间的治
理启示，以期为中国式区域协同提供理论拓
展与经验借鉴。 |
| 关键词: 粤港澳大湾区 跨界地区 尺度重
组 尺度陷阱 空间治理 区域一体化 |
| DOI：10.13791/j.cnki.hsfwest.20251112001 |
| 分类号: |
| 基金项目:国家社科基金重大项目（22&VHQ009）；国家自然科学基金青年项目（52308063）；广东省哲学社会科学规划青年项目（GD25YGG01）；
广东省基础与应用基础研究基金项目（2024A1515011547）；中央高校基本科研业务费专项资金（QNMS2511） |
|
| From imbalance to adaptation: Rescaling and governance insights in cross-boundaryregions of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area |
|
LIAN Dongxin,WANG Shifu,Li Xinjian
|
| Abstract: |
| Amid accelerating globalization and intensifying regional integration, national borders are
increasingly less restrictive to the circulation of capital, labor, information, and other production
factors. As these flows become more transnational and interjurisdictional, cross-border regions have
gradually shifted from peripheral spaces at the margins of state territories to strategic frontiers for
regional cooperation, economic coordination, and spatial reorganization. These regions function not
merely as boundary zones but as arenas in which multiple institutional systems, governance
arrangements, and development strategies intersect. Consequently, cross-border regions have attracted
growing scholarly attention within debates on regional governance, state spatial restructuring, and
multi-scalar institutional coordination.A similar transformation has been unfolding in China under the
national strategy of coordinated regional development. Historically, administrative boundary areas
within China were often regarded as marginal spaces characterized by fragmented governance
structures and limited economic interaction. In recent decades, however, these boundary regions have
increasingly been repositioned as platforms for promoting regional integration and collaborative
development. Through infrastructure connectivity, industrial cooperation, and institutional
coordination, these areas have begun to play a more active role in facilitating interjurisdictional
collaboration. Despite these developments, systematic research on cross-border spatial governance in
the Chinese context remains limited. Existing studies rarely examine the governance challenges
generated by complex multi-scalar institutional arrangements, or the mechanisms by which these
challenges are addressed through institutional experimentation and governance innovation. Against
this background, this paper investigates cross-border spatial governance in the Guangdong-Hong
Kong- Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), one of the most dynamic and institutionally complex regional
integration projects in contemporary China. The GBA is characterized not only by dense economic
networks and rapid urbanization but also by the distinctive institutional framework of “One Country,
Two Systems”, which generates diversity in legal systems, administrative arrangements, and policy
regimes across the region. These characteristics make the GBA a valuable case for examining the
dynamics of cross-border governance in contexts of institutional heterogeneity.The study focuses on
several boundary regions within the GBA, including Guangzhou – Foshan, Shenzhen – Hong Kong,
Zhuhai–Macao, and Shenzhen–Dongguan, as well as a series of cross-border cooperation platforms
that have emerged in these areas over recent decades. From the perspective of scale restructuring, the
paper seeks to understand how cross-border cooperation in the GBA has evolved since China's reform
and opening-up and how governance mechanisms have adapted to the challenges of coordinating
across administrative and institutional scales.Methodologically, the research adopts a qualitative case
study approach that integrates policy document analysis with semi-structured interviews with keyactors involved in regional governance. National strategies, regional planning documents, and local development policies were reviewed to reconstruct the
institutional evolution of cross-border cooperation in the GBA. In addition, interviews with policymakers, planners, and institutional stakeholders provide
insights into the governance processes shaping cross-border collaboration. The analysis identifies a multi-stage evolution of cross-border cooperation in the
Greater Bay Area since the late 1970s. Early stages were characterized primarily by pragmatic economic interactions driven by market forces and policy
experimentation. Over time, cross-border collaboration gradually expanded into more institutionalized forms of cooperation, including planning coordination,
infrastructure integration, and spatial policy alignment. Despite these advances, cross-border governance in the GBA continues to face challenges associated
with multi-scalar institutional arrangements.The study identifies three scalar dilemmas that structure contemporary cross-border governance in the region. First,
there are divergences in strategic development objectives across administrative levels and jurisdictions, which complicate the alignment of policy priorities.
Second, governance scales are often asymmetrical, as participating jurisdictions differ in institutional authority, planning systems, and regulatory capacities.
Third, effective cross-jurisdictional coordination mechanisms remain incomplete, leading to fragmented governance practices and institutional friction in the
implementation of cross-border initiatives. In response to these challenges, governance innovations have gradually emerged within the GBA. Cross-border
cooperation zones and pilot platforms have served as experimental spaces for testing new governance arrangements. Flexible planning approaches have been
introduced to mediate mismatches between governance scales and facilitate coordination across administrative systems. Furthermore, multi-level institutional
innovations have enabled new forms of collaboration that transcend traditional jurisdictional boundaries.By conceptualizing these dynamics through a scalar
analytical lens, this paper contributes to the literature on cross-border regional governance and state spatial restructuring. It demonstrates how processes of scale
restructuring generate governance tensions and opportunities for institutional experimentation in cross-border regions. Empirically, the findings provide insights
into the evolving governance landscape of the GBA and illustrate how interactions between institutional diversity, scalar reconfiguration, and policy innovation
shape cross-border spatial governance.More broadly, the study offers implications for advancing integrated regional development in China and other contexts
characterized by institutional heterogeneity. The experience of the Greater Bay Area suggests that effective cross-border governance requires not only stronger
institutional coordination across administrative boundaries but also adaptive governance mechanisms capable of navigating multi-scalar complexities. By
highlighting these governance dynamics, the paper contributes theoretical insights and practical lessons for understanding and managing cross-border regional
cooperation in an increasingly interconnected world. |
| Key words: Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area cross-boundary regions scalar restructuring scalar traps spatial governance regional
integration |
